Remember your safety during the Fourth of July

Summer means picnics, barbecues, parades and fireworks displays, especially around the Fourth of July. Summer also means an increase in injuries from backyard grills, bonfires and fireworks. In 2005, an estimated 10,800 people were treated in emergency rooms for fireworks-related injuries, nearly half of whom were under 15 years old.

Children between the ages of 10 and 14 were at three times the risk of fireworks injuries than the general population. About a third of the injuries were from small firecrackers, 21 percent from bottle rockets and 20 percent from sparklers. In 2004, fireworks caused $21 million in direct property damage.

The National Council on Fireworks Safety invites you to celebrate our nation’s heritage on the Fourth of July, but celebrate safely. People everywhere are fascinated by fireworks �” by the mystery and splendor that light the night sky or turn a backyard into a festival of light and sound. Like nothing else, fireworks can excite, thrill and amaze us. But as dazzling as fireworks can be, they can also be harmful if used improperly.

The National Council on Fireworks Safety urges you to put safety first when celebrating this Fourth of July. Legal fireworks are safer than ever, in part because of stringent federal safety standards enacted by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission in 1976. The incidence of fireworks-related injuries has dropped dramatically during the past 10 years, but it can be cut further by following a few simple guidelines:

* Never allow young children to handle fireworks; older children should use fireworks only under close adult supervision.

* Never point or throw fireworks at another person.

* Never carry fireworks in your pocket or shoot them in metal or glass containers.

* Follow label directions carefully, lighting fireworks only outdoors in a clear area away from onlookers, houses and flammable materials.

* Light one device at a time; maintain a safe distance after lighting.

* Do not try to re-light or handle malfunctioning fireworks; douse and soak them with water and discard them safely.

* Keep a bucket of water nearby to fully extinguish fireworks that don’t go off or in case of fire.

* Only use fireworks as intended. Don’t try to alter them or combine them.

* Use common sense. Spectators should keep a safe distance from the shooter and the shooter should wear safety glasses.

* Alcohol and fireworks do not mix. Have a “designated shooter.”

* Obey local laws and only use legal fireworks. Legal fireworks conform to the standards. Illegal ones often don’t. The Consumer Product Safety Commission requires that legal fireworks show the name of the item, the name of the manufacturer or distributor and easy-to-read cautionary label and instructions for proper use. Illegal devices include M80s, M100s and silver salutes, which have been federally banned since 1996 because of the large amounts of illegal explosives they contain. Illegal explosive devices are extremely dangerous and can cause serious injury.

Parents to be mindful of sparklers

Using sparklers on our nation’s birthday is as traditional as cookouts and swimming and is equally safe if a few common sense rules are followed. Approximately 20 percent of all consumer fireworks injuries are caused by sparklers burning hands and legs, with the majority of sparkler injuries occurring to young children. These are injuries that would not have occurred if there had been close adult supervision and if some basic safety steps had been taken. The National Council on Fireworks Safety offers these safety steps for sparklers, in the hopes that sparkler injuries to young children can be greatly reduced.

* Children under the age of 12 should not use sparklers without very close adult supervision.

* Always remain standing while using sparklers.

* Never hold a child in your arms while using sparklers.

* Never hold, or light, more than one sparkler at a time.

* Sparklers and bare feet can be a painful combination. Always wear closed toe shoes when using sparklers.

* Sparkler wire and stick remain hot long after the flame has gone out. Be sure to drop the spent sparklers directly in a bucket of water.

* Never hand a lighted sparkler to another person. Give them the unlit sparkler and then light it.

* Always stand at least 6 feet from another person while using sparklers.

* Never throw sparklers.

* Show children how to hold sparklers away from their body and at arm’s length.

* Teach children not to wave sparklers, especially wooden stick sparklers, or run while holding sparklers.

Fremont Area Medical Center urges everyone to be safe this Fourth of July in their holiday celebrations.

Jackie Beaton is director of public relations, marketing and volunteer services at Fremont Area Medical Center. She can be reached at (402) 727-3565 or jbeaton@famc.org. Source: The National Council on Fireworks Safety; fabulousliving.com; National Safety Council.